


Lending a Hand

by CrypticGabriel



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anaphylaxis, Explicit Sexual Content, Grief/Mourning, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Minor Character Death, Misgendering, Nanny Keith, Past Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Peanut Allergic Reaction, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sudden Death, Trans Keith (Voltron), Trans Male Character, anaphylactic shock, septic shock, trans work by trans author
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:41:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23538526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrypticGabriel/pseuds/CrypticGabriel
Summary: Keith was hired to be a nanny for a cold, stoic widower's children. Takashi Shirogane was to the point, unapproachable, and he didn't have the best relationship with his children. With some time, Keith hoped to make things right for this family. Along the way, he didn't expect to have feelings for the man, either.
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 149





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My Nanny Keith AU is now coming to Ao3! It's going to be split up into chapters. If you haven't read this AU on twitter, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> The second chapter will be posted just a few minutes after this one!

_Keith Kogane just needed the money._ He got fired from his last job. Honestly though, the messy break was probably in his best interest. His former employer was a scumbag, anyways.

He didn’t have any formal experience; just some years spent caring for younger children in foster care. He had to spend a week doing CPR training before he was even allowed to update his info on a caregiver job site. He started this on a whim, after his friends suggested that he should find a different career path.

Granted, childcare wasn’t what they meant, but whatever. He’d gotten an offer within six hours. The name was Takashi Shirogane. He looked at his information and in shock.

**T. Shirogane**

**Occupation: Staff detail for Japanese Embassy**

**Information: In need of a nanny. 5 kids, aged 6 mos. – 15 yrs. Background check required.**

_Five children?_ That was a bit more than he could handle. And besides, he was twenty-five. Wouldn’t it be kind of weird if he had to take care of someone that was just ten years younger than him? However, he was _that_ desperate for money. After several hours pondering, the interview was set.

Takashi was a quiet man, and he clearly read from a script for the interview. That implied that he must’ve gone through several different nannies before him. Was Keith even cut out to be a nanny? This was a lot of pressure, for something that he’d never done as a career before.

It didn’t take very long for Takashi to decide that he should hire Keith, apparently. All he did was ask several “Yes,” or “No,” questions, and there was on generic “What made you decide to become a nanny?” question.

He was practically hired on the spot.

“Shelter is included,” was what Takashi said first. He was relatively quiet when he wasn’t asking those simple questions. “I’ll be e-mailing you the schedules each child follows. Everything must be done to the letter. They have a strict bedtime, and you’ll be responsible for transportation. I spend long hours at the Embassy, so I will only take phone calls if there are emergencies. Do you have any questions?”

Keith was stunned while holding five different, thick folders. Even the baby had a strict routine. “Uh… payment. I know I have a specific rate, but you said that you’ll be adjusting that. What does that mean?”

Takashi let out a short grunt. “Right. Your rate will be increased while working for me. I understand that taking care of five children is a daunting task, and I’ve been advised by previous help to increase my rates.”

Help… How rich were Embassy staff? “And how much might that be?”

“How does a $48,000 salary sound?”

Keith’s jaw practically dropped. That was more than double of what he made at his last job. He could be able to afford top surgery in no time at all!” “Yes. A-absolutely.”

“Thank you so much. We’ve had a gap between nannies for several weeks, so your help is very appreciated. Can you start right away?”

Keith had to snap himself back to reality. “I’m sorry, _nannies?”_

He diverted his eyes. “We’ve gone through nine nannies in five months.”

He should’ve known there was a catch. He should’ve left and turned him down right then and there. However, he couldn’t pass up a salary like that. He’d dealt with all different types of children while in foster care, so he felt there was nothing he couldn’t handle.

“Well, ten has to be some kind of lucky number, right?” Keith tried to lighten the mood. “Yes, I can start as soon as you need me to.”

Takashi wasn’t the least bit amused. “Thank you for taking the job offer, then. If you can start right away, I’d prefer that you move in tonight. I can arrange assistance for you if you need it. I would like to make this a quick and smooth transition. Do you have anything else for me?”

Keith failed to mention that he was trans, and it wasn’t until this moment that he realized that. He was going to need time off eventually for top surgery, and once a month he got his Testosterone prescriptions refilled and needed to see his endocrinologist several hours away. He was now to deep into this interview to fuck it up by coming out. After all, what if Takashi was transphobic? He didn’t give off that vibe, but he couldn’t be too careful.

“Just… I need a strict day off once a month. I can work around your schedule to arrange that. I hope that’s alright…”

“Only one?” Takashi tilted his head. “That can be arranged. What about family?”

Keith shrugged. “Don’t have any.”

“Oh.” He pursed his lips. “I’m sorry. Well, that’s no trouble at all.” He then stood up and shook hands with him. “I’ll see you tonight, then.”

“Yeah. I’ll see you, Mr. Shirogane.”

He had to say his name just once to pronounce it correctly.

\--

_There was a moving van at_ his apartment within two hours. Well, it wasn’t his apartment… he was just living with Hunk for a little while when he was trying to get back on his feet. Keith briefly said goodbye to Hunk and tried to stay calm while thinking about his new job.

What if these kids were demon spawns? Why did the Shirogane family go through nine nannies? Did any of them die?

There was a lot for him to process and not a lot of time to prepare. He briefly read through each thick folder he received. The documents were clinical and impersonal. They each had the times of their extracurricular activities each week, allergies, and different friends and social activities they had. They were written out like they were medical experiments.

Takashi had three daughters and two sons, and Keith’s hands were already full.

**Amaya Shirogane – F – 15.**

**Participates in tutoring programs and is the sophomore class president.**

**Hiroto Shirogane – M – 12.**

**Participates in football (NOT American) and baseball. Must keep up grades in Mathematics.**

**Kasumi Shirogane – F – 10.**

**Classically trained violinist.**

**Sayuri Shirogane – F – 6.**

**Accelerated learning – she’s in second grade and advanced proficient at an Early Fluent reading level. Needs constant simulation in classic literature.**

**ALLERGIES: Nuts, tree nuts, bees**

**Kyoto Shirogane – M – 6 mos.**

**Must keep track of milestones.**

Soon, they arrived at the Shirogane estate. Keith let out a huff as he looked out the window. The property was _massive._ From the information he had, the only children that shared a bedroom were Kasumi and Sayuri. Now including Keith’s, that meant there were at least six bedrooms. It was daunting trying to process that, as well as the unimaginable wealth that waited for him inside.

The moving company Takashi hired made quick work to help Keith get his belongings inside. The man himself was waiting for him in the foyer and guided them up to the second floor.

The size of his bedroom was enormous compared to what he was used to. Even the bed was too large! He couldn’t just stand there and watch the movers handle his stuff without him, so he diligently resumed helping them situate his larger belongings and set boxes on the floor.

Keith couldn’t help but give them a nice tip, which Takashi had watched with a hard stare. Was he not supposed to do that? He didn’t want to make Takashi feel cheap.

“When I took this job, I never expected to feel so lavished,” Keith admitted with a chuckle.

Takashi said nothing. He just pursed his lips and turned his head to look down the hall. “Now then. I’ll introduce you to the children.”

Keith was nervous all over again. He stepped out of the room up to the threshold as he watched Takashi stop in front of the bedroom doors. He knocked on each one hard.

The four older children stepped out in a hurry, dressed in school uniforms and standing in a line. They all had many of Shiro’s likenesses, and the younger girls also had darker complexions.

“Amaya,” Shiro called, “fetch the baby from the nursery.”

“He’s not a dog,” she scowled. The eldest daughter stepped out of line. “Why can’t you hold your own baby?”

“Amaya.” His tone hardened as she stepped back into the other bedroom closest to Keith’s.

When she reluctantly stepped out, she held an excited baby boy in her arms. He reached his hands up and gurgled, but ultimately Amaya was just focused on stepping back in line.

Shiro looked to Keith. “These are my children. Here’s Amaya, Hiroto, Kasumi, and Sayuri. And of course, this is Kyoto. Children, this is Keith, your new nanny.”

“Aren’t nannies girls?” The youngest girl mumbled.

“Sayuri…”

Keith decided to take it from there, not really that offended. “A lot of them are, yes. But boys can be nannies, too. It’s nice to meet all of you.”

The children were silent, save for Kyoto’s babbling.

“Dinner will be ready shortly. Sal’s working hard in the kitchen.”

Thank god, Keith didn’t have to cook. That was a disaster waiting to happen.

When they didn’t move, Takashi turned to them. “Go on. Wash up for dinner.”

There was a light grumble as all of them dispersed. Before Amaya left, she simply handed Keith the baby before leaving.

“Tough crowd,” Keith murmured sheepishly.

“Meals are at the same time every day. Your job is to maintain the routines, bring them to school and their activities, clean their rooms, do laundry, be on top of their schoolwork, and care for the baby.”

It sounded like he was raising them. “Okay… I’ll stay on top of everything, Mr. Shirogane.”

He gave Keith a curt nod. “Also, one more thing. I informed the four older ones that they will be facing consequences if, god forbid, you decide not to stay. There is no grace period in this position, but as you can imagine, it’s stressful on the household having to go through nine nannies. If there’s an issue like that, notify me immediately. I’ll deal with it.”

It seemed like Takashi dealing with a situation like that was a bad idea, but he nodded. “I look forward to getting along with your kids.”

Takashi shrugged. “Just focus on taking care of them. Any relationships that form from that are entirely up to them.”

Keith immediately got the impression from him that he didn’t seem all that interested in his children. He didn’t want to have that mindset on his very first day, but it was very hard considering his tone and his overall abrasiveness. However, he was a professional. Somewhat.

He nodded his head to entertain him and then brought Kyoto into the nursery.

“Well, then.” Keith looked down at the baby. “What do you think of all this?”

Kyoto just clapped his hands while he was held.

Keith smiled faintly. “Me too. At least you’re glad I’m here.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and the children get off on the wrong foot.

_The first few days were uneventful._ The kids seemed to be more focused on school during the week, and Keith found that easy enough. He couldn’t understand why they’d gone through nine nannies in five months.

That was, until Takashi had to leave for Japan for a week.

The meals schedule was practically the only thing that was a constant while Takashi was away. Kyoto cried fairly often while Takashi was at work, and while he was in Japan was when he was at his worst. Sayuri attempted to paint a mural in Takashi’s office. Amaya was sneaking out. Hiroto failed his math test and was up all hours of the night loudly playing his video games. Kasumi and Sayuri both banded together to practically trash the upstairs.

They were sending a message. They could keep an angelic appearance while their father was reachable. It was an entirely different story when he was away.

Unfortunately for them, Keith had dealt with far worse while in foster care most of his life. He did his job, maintaining all his tasks and cleaning up after them, but that only went so far.

Someone chopped off his ponytail in his sleep.

Keith had woken up and stared at his botched haircut in absolute horror. He couldn’t help but think of how he was tormented in his many homes as a kid, and something inside him snapped. They thought they could treat him like a pushover, just like they treated their other nannies.

“Alright! Everyone up!” It was a Saturday, so of course they were all sleeping in. He smacked on all their doors, knocking and stepping back. “Get up! Come on out here!”

The four of them were all groggy, looking more irritated with him than ever.

“What?” Amaya grumbled.

Keith kept a hard glare as he held up the detached ponytail. “Anyone want to explain this?”

All of them sputtered and tried stifling their laughter.

“Huh?” He still held it up. “I can tolerate a lot of things from you four, but this is not one of them. Anyone want to ‘fess up?”

No one did, but Sayuri shuffled her feet.

“It seems like I have a lot of work to do.” Keith stepped back, coming up with an idea. “Until someone comes forward, you’ll all have to be punished.”

Hiroto laughed out. “You can’t punish us.”

“Oh, I can’t?” he frowned. “In my fifty pages of paperwork your father gave me when hiring me, nowhere did it say I wasn’t allowed to punish you. Now, we have two tornadoes, one pre-teen that can’t count to ten, a prima donna with no concept of a curfew, and, most egregiously, one of the tornadoes thinks they’re Picasso.”

Amaya scoffed, Hiroto grumbled, and the two girls were red-faced with embarrassment.

“Now, I know it’s in my job description to clean up after you, but I see here that we have a difference here between me tidying up after you and me basically being your butler. I’m not your butler.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Amaya challenged.

“Yeah! What about it?” Sayuri crossed her arms.

Keith chuckled. “I think it’s time for you four to take some responsibilities, starting with taking care of your messes upstairs.”

There immediately was an outraged protest.

“We don’t have to clean anything!”

“Oh yeah?” Keith chuckled. “My mystery hairstylist thinks otherwise. I’ll make you all clean your messes, unless someone wants to come forward and take the blame for my ruined hair. Your father wouldn’t be too happy if they found out you went through your tenth nanny.”

The two younger girls gulped, but Hiroto and Amaya stared at him defiantly.

“We’ll never tell. Make us,” Amaya muttered.

“Gladly,” Keith sneered. He stepped back into a closet that Keith dubbed his “cleaning closet.” He pulled out a pack of latex gloves, different cleaning products, sponges, and a broom and mop. “Start with your bedrooms and then the hall.”

Hiroto scoffed. “You’re kidding.”

Kasumi looked a little nervous. “You can’t make us!”

“Your father’s not here to object, is he?” He gave each of them supplies. “I’ll be keeping an eye on your work.”

“This is abuse,” Amaya said smugly. “We’ll call CPS on you.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Okay. What are you going to tell them? ‘Help! Our nanny is making us clean up our messes!’”

She looked taken aback and finally lowered her head. “Well, when you put it like that, it sounds stupid…”

“Well, I gave you guys chances, and I got nothing. I want the house to look as immaculate as when I first walked in here.”

They dispersed with their supplies, looking like they had no idea what they were doing until they got to work. “Not even Pa made us do this much work when we got in trouble.”

Keith caught Hiroto saying that. He’d never heard Takashi be referred to as “Pa.” Then again, Takashi never specified what gender his deceased spouse was.

Of course, he gave Sayuri lighter chores. She was exempt from using harsh chemicals and the mop, and he delegated her to picking up toys and laundry and making her bed. With Kasumi being ten, she was tasked with sweeping the floors and cleaning up the mess on Takashi’s wall with Sayuri’s direction.

The other two, however, had the most work other than Keith. They cleaned most of the upstairs while Keith did laundry and took care of the baby. The process took up all their Saturday. Still, no one confessed to cutting Keith’s hair. So, the punishment dragged on while they waited for Takashi to come home that Sunday.

“We cleaned the whole upstairs,” Amaya scoffed. “What more do you want?”

“Not me,” Keith teased, “but I’m sure Sal would love your help down in the kitchen. I’ll have you and Hiroto take care of that.”

Amaya growled and snatched the gloves before storming downstairs. Hiroto looked over. “I didn’t cut your hair.”

“Well, someone did. Now, kitchen.” He watched him leave.

Kasumi and Sayuri were quiet after their older siblings left.

“What do we do?” Sayuri mumbled.

“Well, you two can tag team with me and help with the baby.” He smiled and led them to the nursery.

It was just about time for Kyoto to wake up, and he needed to be changed. The girls immediately covered their noses and looked away when Keith had to do that, but he was casual about taking care of the baby and holding him.

“You can help me with feeding him and giving him a bath. We gotta make sure he’s nice and clean when your dad comes home.”

Kasumi lowered her head. “It’s not going to make a difference. He won’t hold him.”

Keith chuckled. “Don’t be silly.” He took them out of the bedroom to bring them in the kitchen to feed him. “Of course, your dad will be happy to hold Kyoto.”

“No, he won’t,” she mumbled. “Dad doesn’t like him.”

“What makes you say that?” He turned to look at them.

“He doesn’t like any of us.” Sayuri crossed her arms and led the way downstairs. “He doesn’t talk to us or give us hugs, and he doesn’t tuck us in anymore.”

“He doesn’t come to my orchestra recitals…” Kasumi sighed.

Keith frowned, seeing for the first time how sad they were.

“I miss Pa…” Sayuri looked at Kyoto.

“Me too.” Kasumi bit her lip. “Keith?”

“What’s up?” he murmured.

“…I cut your hair.”

He blinked. “You did?”

Kasumi nodded, and her eyes were starting to water. “We don’t like nannies raising us and just want our dad, and I wanted you to leave. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so the first thing that came to my mind was that it was weird you were a boy with long hair. So, I cut it off while you were sleeping.”

He looked down at Kyoto for a moment. “I understand that you were upset, but you can’t just cut someone’s hair like that. What you did was wrong, and because you didn’t tell the truth, everyone else had to pay the price for it.”

“I-I know. I’m sorry.” She started to cry and wiped her eyes. “I’m really sorry.”

Keith frowned. “It’s alright, Kasumi. I know you’re sorry. Besides, there are better ways to try and get rid of me. I spent a lot of time growing out my hair.”

Sayuri looked at him. “I still like your hair.”

“Yeah?” he chuckled. “Did you like it long too?”

She nodded.

Keith smiled faintly. “What made you want to tell the truth?”

Kasumi sniffled and wiped her eyes. “You’re not like the other nannies. You don’t ignore us like our dad does.”

“Well, I’m not your typical nanny.” He smiled. “Come on. Let’s save the other two before Amaya breaks a nail.”

Sayuri giggled helplessly. “She’d be crying.”

Keith laughed and walked into the kitchen with them. Hiroto was begrudgingly cleaning off the oven and counter tops. Meanwhile, Sal was trying to teach Amaya the most difficult task of all: filling the dishwasher.

“You didn’t rinse that.”

Amaya grimaced. “It’s a dishwasher. You shouldn’t have to rinse it.”

“Well, you do,” Sal insisted. “And you bunched these bowls too close together.”

“Ugh, this is stupid!” she whined and went back to shuffling with the dishes.

Sal turned his head to Keith. “I guess they’re trying.”

“They’re off the hook, Sal. Kasumi here admitted to the crime.”

“Thank god!” Amaya quickly moved away from the dishwasher. “You’re the worst nanny ever!” She stormed out of the kitchen.

Keith rolled his eyes. “Well, Hiroto, you have your gaming privileges again.”

Hiroto sighed. “You’re not going to make me study?”

“Oh, of course I am,” he chuckled. “But you should be old enough to handle that yourself.”

He looked at his sisters and the baby before shuffling his feet and making his way out after his sister.

Sayuri started giggling. “They don’t like doing anything.”

“Oh well. Let’s hope you four don’t get into trouble again.” Keith smiled and sat down after preparing the baby food. “You girls are free to go, too.”

They looked at each other. “Can we stay with you?”

He smiled. “Well, sure. The more, the merrier.”

They worked together to take care of Kyoto, giving him his bath and dressing him up in the most adorable outfit. Sayuri and Kasumi wore matching dresses, and Keith did their hair. He was pleased that he at least got along well with the younger kids.

Takashi came home after dinner. He looked exhausted after a long trip and the time change, but that didn’t stop the excitement.

“Daddy!” Sayuri squealed and got up from the table.

“Sayuri, sit down,” he scolded, to which she faltered and stood by her chair. “Good evening, children.”

“Welcome back.” Keith smiled. “Someone here really missed you.” He sat up and held Kyoto. “Didn’t you? You missed your daddy, huh?”

Takashi looked at Kyoto as he clapped his hands. All the man did was take a deep breath, shoulders sagging from exhaustion. “I must go to bed. I have to travel to the Embassy in the morning. Early bed tonight for the children.”

He then walked upstairs, and Keith was stunned to silence. He turned to the younger girls.

“Told you,” Kasumi mumbled. “He doesn’t care about us.”

Amaya stood right up. “I lost my appetite.” She went out of the dining room and upstairs.”

“I’m done too.” Hiroto followed her out.

Sayuri sat back at the table. “He doesn’t like us, does he?”

Keith frowned. “Of course, he does. Your father’s just a busy man, that’s all.”

“He didn’t act like this when Pa was around.” Kasumi finished her dinner.

“What happened to your Pa?” Keith asked curiously.

“He’s gone,” she mumbled. “He got really sick before the baby was born.”

“Oh…” Keith sighed. “I’m really sorry. I know how you girls feel. When I was little, I lost my dad too. Your dad might still be really sad, then.”

“He said he’s fine.” Sayuri shrugged. “I don’t wanna lose Daddy too.”

He bit his lip. “He just needs some more time to feel better.” He started to clean off the table. “Let’s head up for bed. Sayuri, you still need a bath.”

“Aww,” she groaned and walked with him. “I was hoping you’d forget…”

“I never forget,” he grinned and led the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come yell at me on Twitter: @cryptic_gabriel


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While slowly getting used to spending time with the children, there were still setbacks that Keith had to deal with when it came to getting them to like him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning for Misgendering and Deadnaming. The deadnaming is censored, but it's still good to warn that it's coming up just in case.
> 
> This is the first part of what I wanted to have a big chapter for, but I realized that most of the beginning half of the fic is in this chapter. So I split them up! I'm hoping to have what I put on my word doc to be out every day this week and then just waiting for the rest. Let's see what happens!

_After the first huge hurdle, things_ were much easier now that he got along with Sayuri and Kasumi. They were sweet girls, and he was happy to help them. He wished he could help Hiroto with tutoring. He sucked at math.

Talking to Amaya was like talking to a brick wall. Amaya was spoiled and vindictive, and she never listened to Keith when he tried giving her direction. She was in her own little world, and he caught on quickly that she probably wanted him fired.

However, he was taking care of the children well. He figured that leaving her alone was his safest bet. After all, she was old enough to have responsibilities and take care of herself.

And Takashi, well… he was Takashi. He was never home, and when he was, he never talked. That was the basic arrangement, and he was okay with that.

Keith was listening to Kasumi play her violin while he fed the baby from his bottle. This was meant in no disrespect to younger musicians, but he never expected a fifth grader to play an instrument so beautifully. He was genuinely eager to listen to her, which apparently was something other nannies never bothered to do.

When she was done, she slumped and set her violin down.

“That was great, Kasumi,” Keith grinned. “You play so well.”

“No, I don’t,” she groaned and looked at her bow. “I messed up so many times. Mozart did better. My instructor said my dad would be disappointed.”

He sighed, perching Kyoto on his lap and supporting him. “You’re not Mozart. You’re Kasumi Shirogane. And you’re very talented. Don’t let whatever your instructor says keep you down. You’re better at this than any ten-year-old I know.”

Her face was red as she smiled faintly. “You remind me of my Pa.”

“Yeah?” he smiled. “What was he like?”

“He was a teacher. He had a lot more time with us than Dad did, ‘cause he wasn’t as busy as him. Pa was really fun.”

“Sounds like it.” Keith got up. “Let’s take a break, hm? You’re already finished with your homework if you want a snack.”

“Okay.” She smiled and walked out of her room.

Keith followed her slowly, and when he turned towards the nursery, he tilted his head. His bedroom door was open. He stopped in the nursery to set Kyoto down first before heading straight to his room. He peered in, to find Amaya in there going through his belongings.

“Amaya, what are you doing?”

She looked up with a sly grin. “I know your secret.”

His blood ran cold. “What? What secret?”

“How did you pass the background check?” she laughed. “You lied about your identity. See?” She found mail that Keith had brought in from his PO Box. They were addressed in his birth name.

He felt a lump in his throat. “Amaya…”

“You’re a woman,” she scoffed. “I should’ve known.”

Keith’s eyes narrowed. “I am not.”

She sneered and held the letters tighter. “I’m telling my dad.”

“Amaya, no!” He hurried to follow her. “Amaya. You had no right to go through my things!”

“I’m just doing a public service, Keith! Or should I say, [DEADNAME].”

He was rigid right in front of Takashi’s office. The door was open, so Takashi heard her clearly.

“Amaya…” He felt tears threatening to form. He knew Amaya was vindictive, but he never thought she’d stoop that low.

“What’s going on?” Takashi stepped out of his office. “Amaya?”

“The nanny is an imposter!” She had a smug look whenever he glanced at Keith. “This isn’t Keith at all. Her name is actually [DEADNAME], and she’s pretending to be a man—”

“How dare you.”

Takashi’s response startled the both of them.

“Huh?”

“How dare you, Amaya.” This was the most emotion that Keith ever saw Takashi express. “Keith is not a woman. It doesn’t matter what name Keith went by in the past. You _never_ call a trans person by their old name. Do they teach you any decency at that school of yours?”

“Oh, b-but—”

“After living in an accepting environment with me and your father, you have the gall to try and out a trans person? For what? To fire him? I have never tolerated this type of behavior, and I never will! Amaya, go straight to your room!”

Amaya was stunned. “Dad.”

“Now!”

Amaya stepped back, and Keith saw tears form in her eyes as she walked off to her room. Keith was still shocked at the turn of events.

“Keith, I’m terribly sorry.” Takashi sighed. “I’ve never raised my children to behave that way. What she said was beyond uncalled for.”

“…You knew?” Keith couldn’t believe that was the first thing that came to his mind.

“Of course, I did,” he shrugged. “That’s what background checks are for.”

“R-right.” He rubbed his arm. “All this time, I was afraid of coming out.”

“Why? If you don’t mind me asking…”

“Well, that.” Keith gestured to where Amaya just was. “A-and I didn’t want to jeopardize my job by coming out.”

“I understand why, but I’d never judge you for that,” Takashi insisted. “I was married to my husband for eighteen years. Many of our friends and colleagues are trans.”

Keith sighed in relief. “Well, that’s great to hear. Thank you, Mr. Shirogane.” He shuffled his feet. “You and your husband have done a great job raising them. Did you two adopt, then?”

“Not exactly.” Takashi rubbed the back of his neck. “We had surrogates. Amaya, Hiroto, and Kyoto are mine, biologically. Kasumi and Sayuri are Adam’s. We were all one happy family together…” There was the slightest detection of a smile on his face.

Keith noticed. He grinned and moved closer. “The broodish man of the Embassy does smile, after all.”

He stopped smiling. “You should check on the children. I have to go back to work.”

“Oh, okay.” He stepped back. “Good night, Mr. Shirogane.”

He didn’t respond after that.

Well, at least he was able to have one conversation with Takashi. Keith sighed and went right back to work.

\--

_Keith was given a bonus in_ his next paycheck after the incident with Amaya. A _big_ one. While he greatly appreciated it, he wanted to extend a portion of this bonus as a piece offering to Takashi’s kids. All they ever did was go to school or stay home, with the exception of Amaya.

They were excelling in their extracurricular activities, as well, and Hiroto passed his latest math test with a C. They deserved a little reward. So, one Saturday, Keith decided to take them out for the day. Takashi was working today, so that gave them even more free rein.

At breakfast, Keith was already dressed casually for later. He turned to them while feeding the baby. “So. How about we go to the mall today?”

The four of them all stared at him like he had two heads.

“We don’t go to the mall.” Kasumi toyed with her food.

“Well, if you’d gotten to know your past nannies and allowed them to stay longer than a week, then maybe they’d want to take you to the mall. Imagine that,” he teased. “We can go to whatever stores you want.”

Amaya silently shrugged and went back to eating. She’d barely spoken to him since she got yelled at.

“Any store we want?” Hiroto’s eyes narrowed. He was skeptical.

“Sure,” he smiled. “I have plenty of money to split between the five of you to get you a few things you’d like.”

Sayuri’s eyes widened. “I want new stuffed animals!” She then blushed and lowered her head. “Please?”

“We can definitely get new stuffed animals,” Keith smiled. “So, we’ve got Kyoto and Sayuri on board. Anyone else?”

Kasumi raised her hand up. “Can I come?”

“Of course, you can.”

Hiroto got up. “Sure, I’ll go.”

“Amaya, now you gotta come!” Sayuri giggled. “Come with us!”

Amaya shook her head. “I think I’ll stay home.”

“Aww, please?” Kasumi begged. “I need your help picking a dress for my recital!”

Keith watched the eldest daughter. “You’re free to join us.”

She looked over at him in disbelief. She stayed quiet for a moment before nodding. “Okay. I’ll go get dressed.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a trip to the mall, Keith discovers things about Hiroto that prompts him to stand up for these children now more than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The update to this took a lot longer than I expected ;;; I'm sorry that I haven't been doing much writing this month in general. I took an unprompted hiatus because of things that have been happening in the fandom on twitter and very soon after coping with the losses of very special and good people in the fandom's community. I wasn't in the right head space to try and edit or write more on twitter.
> 
> But I'm back for the most part! Here's a long awaited update owo
> 
> CW for homophobia in this chapter

The younger girls of course were excited, and they waited until the mall opened before they went there. Fortunately for Keith, they all stayed together.

Sayuri’s shopping spree was easy enough. All she wanted were some stuffed animals. Keith also got her a cute dress. He also got Kyoto a couple nice outfits and some new toys. Hiroto went to the gaming store for games and a new headset, and he also got some sports paraphernalia. Keith was surprised that he didn’t want to spend any more than that.

Kasumi and Amaya had a harder time shopping. Although Kasumi liked getting a couple movies and one stuffed animal, she was more anxious about finding a new dress for her recital. Next month, she was playing in front of thousands of people for a chance at a Philharmonic Orchestra. Keith thought that was too much stress for a ten-year-old girl, but Takashi was adamant that she had to audition for a chance at getting into the most esteemed performing arts school in the state.

“The judges won’t even look at me if I’m not dressed nice,” Kasumi whined while in the fitting room. “And then I’ll get nervous and won’t play right! Then I won’t get in.” She stepped out to anxiously look at Keith, wearing a black dress. “What if I don’t get in?”

“The important thing would be that you tried,” Keith assured her. “Not many kids your age can do something like this.”

“But I have to get in!” she panicked. “Dad will be so disappointed in me if I don’t.”

“That’s not true…” Keith sighed. “He’s very proud of you for getting this far. He must be.”

“He never said so,” she mumbled. “But if I get in, then he really will be proud of me.”

He frowned. Did Takashi even realize how much his distance from his own children was upsetting them? He understood where the widower was coming from. After all, he dealt with the loss of his family in a similar way. But his children needed his support now more than ever.

He decided it was the best to leave it be for now. “I think that dress is the best one, Kasumi.” He gave her his best smile.

“Really?” Her whole face lit up.

He nodded. “Yes. You should pick out some more clothes, if you want.”

“Okay!” She didn’t stray too far away to look, and Keith could easily keep an eye on her.

“Keith?”

He turned his head to look at Amaya. “What is it?”

Amaya wouldn’t look at him. “I-I wanted to say that I’m sorry… for trying to out you to my dad. Even though I don’t like you, I shouldn’t have done that.”

He sighed. “Amaya, I want to think that you learned your lesson, but don’t be surprised that I don’t trust you very well.”

She lowered her head. “I just wanted my dad to stop having other people raise us.”

“That doesn’t mean you try to ruin my life. None of the pranks and trick you’ve tried doing to me have worked so far, and Kasumi chopped off my hair.” He tugged on his hack job for emphasis. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay as long as I need to. And if you don’t like that, then I’m sorry to disappoint you. You don’t need me to do things for you, after all. You can take care of yourself.”

She glanced up. “I get it…” She pursed her lips. “If you don’t treat me like a little kid, I’ll stop trying to get rid of you.”

That didn’t feel like much of a breakthrough, but Keith was going to take it. “I never tried to treat you like a kid, to be fair. But even with this deal in place, that doesn’t exempt you from punishment if you do something wrong.”

She sighed, relenting. “Fine. But I really am sorry, Keith.”

He nodded. “It’s alright. Thank you, Amaya.”

“No problem.” Her face was red as she went back to checking out different clothes.

“Keith! Keith!” Kasumi ran back over with colorful T-shirts and a pair of jeans. “Hiroto’s kissing another boy!”

“What?” he chuckled. “He’s allowed to. Besides, he’s out by the front of the store. That’s out of bounds for the workers.”

“But they’re kissing by Sephora.” She pointed back.

Keith looked over to indeed see Hiroto kissing another boy. He remembered seeing him at the gaming store. Hiroto was talking to him most of the time he was in there. Keith figured that they thought they were well-hidden behind one of the fixtures in Sephora, but they clearly could be seen. He started to walk over when an older couple beat him to them.

“You boys should not be doing that.” The older man proceeded to yank Hiroto away from the other boy.

“Hey!” Keith glared and got close to them faster. “Get your hands off him!”

The woman glared. “Is this your son?”

“I’m his legal guardian.” Although that was a half-truth, that was the first thing that came to his mind. There was no need to embarrass Hiroto further by saying he was his nanny.

The man had no understanding of what that meant. “Maybe you should teach your boy here not to follow your perverted ways. Your sickness is ruining your child!”

“Hey, mind your damn business!” Keith retorted, taking Hiroto’s hand to bring him closer. “Just because your romance shriveled and died, doesn’t mean you take it out on these kids!”

“Well, I never!” The woman stepped back with a glare. “You can’t live in sin for too long. We’ll be praying for you.” She grabbed her husband’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Keith sighed in relief as he turned back to the boys. “That could’ve gone a lot worse.”

The boy Hiroto was with very uncomfortable. “Hiroto, you promised…” The poor kid’s voice cracked. “I have to go.”

“Wait.” Hiroto gasped and tried to follow him. “Ranvir, wait. Are we still meeting at the food court?”

“My mom wants me to go to this thing, and I’m leaving right away. Uh… sorry.”

Hiroto’s face fell as he watched him leave. “Ranvir…”

Keith’s sighed and was still holding Hiroto’s hand. “Pay no attention to those old assholes,” he teased. “Don’t let what they say keep you from loving who you want.”

He rubbed his eye, trying not to look so upset. “Doesn’t matter. I’m never going to see him again.”

“What makes you say that?” He started leading him back to where the others were.

“Ranvir’s an eighth grader. His parents are homophobic, and he didn’t want us being together in public. I’d promised him we wouldn’t get caught… He’s going to break up with me.” Hiroto looked like he was starting to panic.

“Let’s talk more when we get home,” Keith assured him. “Don’t let that older couple win by showing they hurt your feelings. Besides, our day’s not over yet. We still have to get lunch.” Keith’s phone started to ring. Confused, he answered and joined up with the kids to start paying for their things. “Hello?”

 _“Where are my children?”_ Takashi sounded furious over the phone.

He blinked. “They’re with me. We spent the day at the mall together.”

 _“The mall?”_ he muttered. _“Bring them home now.”_

“Oh, uh…” Keith was still talking to him while playing. “They’re having a good time here. I was just about to get them lunch.”

 _“Now,”_ he repeated sternly. _“I told you this morning that I was bringing politicians here. They need to be home!”_

He relented. “Er, very well. We’ll be there soon.” He hung up and looked at the five of them. “Lunch is cancelled. Your father wants you home.”

“But this is the most fun I’ve had!” Kasumi whined.

“Yeah…” Sayuri pouted as they all walked together.

“I’m sorry. Your father wants you home.”

They left together. Despite the brief tension, they had a decent ride back. Amaya was on the phone and barely paying attention to the others while they were talking. The baby was babbling in the back seat, and the girls were chatting about the things they bought. Hiroto was silent.

Takashi was waiting for them right outside. The kids held their own bags, and Keith held Kyoto as they walked together.

“Do you realize what could’ve happened while you were at the mall?” was the first thing out of Takashi’s mouth.

Keith was royally confused. “I… no?”

“They are only allowed here, at school, or wherever their school needs them to be!” he ordered. “Never disobey that rule again!”

“T-that wasn’t really a rule—”

“Dad, we had fun!” Kasumi insisted. “And I needed a dress for my recital.”

“You don’t know any better,” Shiro muttered. “All of you inside.”

The younger girls walked in first so they wouldn’t get yelled at again. Amaya didn’t entertain Takashi very long and stepped in too. Hiroto was still standing by Keith.

“Dad? T-there was something that happened today w—”

“Get in the house, Hiroto,” he snapped. “You wouldn’t have had a situation if you stayed home like you were supposed to.”

He moved closer to his father. “I, uh… I got a C on my test. I’m getting better at math.”

“You should’ve been passing with advanced proficiency. You’ll study better without electronics. Give me your phone.”

Hiroto paled. “I can’t. I-I’m supposed to get a call from—”

“Phone. Now,” he muttered.

Hiroto looked scared to give it up, but he did so, rushing inside.

Keith’s eyes narrowed as he moved closer. “Mr. Shirogane, not to question your parenting, but what’s taking his phone going to accomplish?”

Takashi glared. “What is disobeying the rules and bringing them to the mall going to accomplish?”

“God forbid they have fun,” he scoffed. “You should be happy they had a good time. Hell, Kasumi is so stressed out over her recital that she needed this break.”

“What makes you think you know more about my own children than I do?” he muttered.

“You don’t spend any time with them! Hiroto’s been improving for weeks. Sayuri hates reading those classic books. And I’ve never seen you once hold the baby!”

“I suggest you know your place, Keith!”

Keith just glared defiantly back at Shiro. “You wonder why you lost so many nannies before me. Had it occurred to you that they’re just trying to get your attention? I can never understand how badly you’re hurting, but they are too. They feel like they’ve lost both their parents. They’re too scared to tell you what I’m telling you, but I’m not. I’m not one of your children. I may work for you, but you don’t control me.”

Shiro took a deep breath, posture straightening up tightly. “Don’t ever bring them to the mall again. Or anywhere else other than where they’re supposed to go. Do you understand me?”

Keith still stared defiantly. “Very well. Only because it’s my job.”

He stepped inside, taking care of the children most of the day afterwards. He didn’t speak to Takashi again. It was the end of the day when he realized he’d nearly forgotten to talk to Hiroto. He tucked the baby in for bed before walking by his room, gently knocking on the door.

“Hiroto?” he called gently. “May I come in?”

He heard a low mumble and stepped in. Keith was surprised to find he didn’t bother playing his new games. His TV was off, and he was curled up in his bed.

“Hey…” He moved closer and sat on the bed. “Hiroto, are you okay?”

His eyes started to water. “What if Ranvir texts me? Would he break up with me over the phone? I don’t want Dad to see it.”

“Why?” He laughed a bit. “Your dad wouldn’t mind at all. He’s gay, too.”

“It’s different now,” he muttered. “He’s all about having perfect children and keeping up appearances. It was Pa that cared about this stuff.”

“That’s not true…” Keith sighed. “I know that things are a little different, but he’s still your father. He loves you, believe it or not. He just wants you to be safe. He can only know how you feel if you talk to him. Or rather, if he talks to you.”

Hiroto wiped his eyes, still curled up. “I miss Pa. He’d know what to say.”

“Maybe I can help,” he assured. “I know this may be hard to believe, but I’ve had relationships before.”

He started sitting up. “I just don’t wanna lose Ranvir. I like him a lot, and he makes me happy. But I messed up…”

“The best thing you can do is apologize. And if Ranvir breaks up with you, it’s his loss. You’re a sweet kid. Any other boy would be lucky to have you. But in the future, understand someone else’s boundaries. Ranvir’s in the closet, and if he does give you another chance, show him you understand what you did wrong by respecting his boundaries. Alright?”

Hiroto nodded his head. He moved closer to Keith and gave him a tight hug. “Thank you.”

Keith smiled faintly, hearing the boy’s light sniffles while he rubbed his back. “Of course. I’ll talk to your dad about your phone. And keep those grades up, okay?”

He nodded again. “I will.”

He smiled and quietly moved back. “Alright. Get some sleep. You have a long week head of you, if you want to get a B on your report card.”

“Okay.” He settled back on his bed. “Good night, Keith.”

“Good night.” He quietly shut the door and went back to his room for bed.

He wished that there was something he could do to help Takashi. He felt like it was a losing battle, but there had to be some way to get him and the kids to finally talk to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come yell at me on Twitter: @cryptic_gabriel


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family has an emergency, and Takashi starts to get a serious wake-up call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning for anaphylactic shock in this chapter.

_While the kids were at school,_ Keith took the baby out to go shopping for essentials. Kyoto enjoyed coming here and clapped his hands while resting in his perched seat. It was an easy enough trip.

“What are you thinking?” Keith grinned at the baby after tossing a box of diapers in the cart. “Should we get Daddy something special?”

Kyoto excitedly kicked his legs.

“Yeah, I think so, too.” He smiled and took him around. They found some coffee mugs, and he picked Kyoto up so he could see them closer. “What do you think? What’s the best one?”

The baby clapped his hands again, reaching his arms out a little to a specific shelf. His reaching just so happened to be towards a mug that said, **“WORLD’S BEST DAD.”**

Keith smiled and supported Kyoto in one arm while grabbing the mug. “This is perfect. Great job, little man.” He chuckled when hearing Kyoto giggle while being placed back in his seat. “Daddy’s going to love this.” Keith was walking to check out when his phone rang. He quietly answered it while waiting on the line. “Hello?”

_“Hello, is this Mr. Kogane? Mr. Shirogane listed you as an emergency contact.”_

He blinked. “Yeah, this is him. Is something wrong?”

The woman on the phone sounded a little panicked. _“This is Ms. Neilson. I’m the school nurse.”_

Sayuri was on a school field trip to the local art museum. She’d been looking forward to it all week.

“Okay…” Keith failed to see why her being at the museum was an emergency.

_“One of the other students said that Sayuri wanted to trade sandwiches with a girl from another school that she was talking to. The sandwich had peanut butter on it.”_

“What?” His face went pale. “Why would you let her do that?!”

_“Mr. Kogane, it happened so quickly. She had her EpiPen with her, though.”_

“Well, that’s just great!” Keith was furious with the teacher, but deep down he felt an overwhelming panic. “Where is she? Does Mr. Shirogane know?”

_“She was taken straight to Garrison Medical. They’ve stabilized her. Mr. Kogane, I’m very sorry.”_

“Does Mr. Shirogane know?” he repeated sternly.

_“Seeing how urgent this was, we contacted you. Mr. Shirogane hasn’t answered his phone in the past when we’ve had to call him.”_

Keith groaned and looked around. The line wasn’t moving anywhere, and he went straight out of there.

_“Next time, we’ll make sure Mr. Shirogane is immediately contacted.”_

“There shouldn’t even _be_ a next time!” Keith hung up quickly, stopping by customer service. “Excuse me? Would I be able to put these on hold? I’m sorry, but I have to leave. It’s an emergency.”

The service worker gave him an annoyed look, his eyes narrowed. “Are you serious right now?”

Keith gawked at him. “Please, would I be able to put these on hold?”

“You should’ve thought about having a deadline before filling up your cart,” he mumbled and went back to helping another customer.

Keith glared. “Fine.”

He grabbed his belongings and rushed out with the baby in tow. At this point, he didn’t care about the time he wasted shopping without anything to show for it. He was deeply afraid for Sayuri. He quickly called Takashi and tried driving as fast as he could.

Keith got a hold of the receptionist. Takashi was at a meeting. “Please, this is an emergency! I need to speak with Mr. Shirogane.”

_“I can take a message for him,”_ the receptionist said simply. _“Is it about the children?”_

“Sayuri went into anaphylactic shock on her field trip.”

There was a pause. _“…That_ is _a serious emergency. I’ll tell Mr. Shirogane right away.”_

“Thank you,” Keith stammered.

He realized in dismay that he had to pick up the other kids. He called their schools and went through the motions, his only focus being on getting to Sayuri. The older children were so quiet, and Kasumi was panicking. They reached the hospital within twenty minutes, and it was just them there for over an hour.

Keith was holding the baby and feeding him when the doors to the waiting room flew open. He quickly turned his head, and Takashi rushed in.

He was a wreck. His suit was wrinkled and sloppy, his hair sticking everywhere outside of its gelled style. He was pale from fear.

Amaya offered to take Kyoto as Keith stood up, meeting him in the center of the room. “Mr. Shirogane—”

“How is she?” he stammered. “I-is she okay? Did she get help in time?”

“We don’t know anything yet,” Keith said slowly. “She’s still being seen by the doctor.”

“Well, what if she _didn’t_ get help in time?” He raised his voice. “What did she eat? And why did her teacher let her eat it?”

“They didn’t see. Sayuri swapped sandwiches with a girl from another school. I don’t know why. The nurse said it had peanut butter in it.”

“F-fuck…” Keith heard him choke on a broken sound. “She has to be okay. I-I can’t lose her!”

Keith sighed sadly. “She’ll be fine. They brought her here as fast as they could. She’s in good hands, Mr. Shirogane.”

That did nothing to calm him down. If anything, it made it worse. Keith immediately saw tears welling up in his eyes, and he looked so defeated.

Just as Keith was about to look at the kids, he felt strong arms pull him close. Takashi’s face was buried in Keith’s shoulder as his body crumpled while holding him tight. He couldn’t imagine what was going through his mind right now.

When he started crying into Keith’s shoulder, he saw Amaya unable to hold back her own tears. Hiroto kept his head down.

“Mr. Shirogane…” Keith finally hugged him back. “Mr. Shirogane, it’s alright. Sayuri’s being taken care of. She’ll be alright. You have to be strong for the other kids. You’re scaring them…”

“I-I can’t go through this again,” he breathed, voice muffled. “I can’t lose her too.”

“It’s alright,” Keith repeated gently. “Come on. We saved you a seat.” He took his hand after pulling away. “The doctor should be out soon.”

He quietly led him over to the chairs. Amaya was still crying, hiding her face. Keith knew right away something else bothered her, too. Takashi was so quiet while they waited, face doing nothing to hide his exhaustion. Everyone was anxious.

Keith finally got the baby to fall asleep when he heard the doctor finally step out another hour later. Takashi stood up quickly and walked over.

He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Keith saw Takashi’s nervous and panicked expression turn to one of deep relief. He and the doctor kept talking for several moments before he turned and beckoned his family to come closer.

Keith led the way over. “How is she?”

“She’s conscious,” Shiro said. “She has to stay here for a few days, but the shock has passed. There’s no permanent damage.”

“That’s terrific news,” Keith sighed and smiled at Kasumi. “See? She’s alright.”

Kasumi nodded and wiped her eyes. The two older kids were much more relaxed too. “Can we see her?”

“Yes. Follow me.” The doctor led them through the doors again and down the hall.

Sayuri was on the fourth floor in the pediatric ward. Once they were in front of her room, the doctor left them alone. Takashi took a shaky breath and knocked on the door before stepping in. Everyone else followed him inside slowly.

Sayuri was pale and attached to an IV, but other than some marks from a fading rash she looked alright. She was resting in silence until she saw her family walk in. She looked up and saw Takashi.

“Daddy?” Her voice was raspy.

“Sayuri…” He sat on the bed and held her hand. “Hi, sweetheart.”

“Daddy.” She sounded scared and whimpered. “I-I didn’t know Gina’s sandwich had peanut butter. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be sorry.” He exhaled and squeezed her hand. “I’m just so happy you’re okay.”

Keith watched in surprise as Takashi leaned down and gave her a hug. He held her close, and Sayuri hugged him tightly. She started to cry.

“It’s oaky,” Takashi crooned and rubbed her back. “It’s alright, Sayuri.”

Keith smiled faintly while holding Kyoto. The other three kids sat on the bed, and they slowly approached him to talk to Sayuri. When Takashi noticed, he shifted back a bit so he could look at the four of them and talk to them. It was a pleasing sight.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on Twitter: @cryptic_gabriel


End file.
